Peter Ridd and the Case for Academic Freedom edited by Morgan Begg

Paperback, 128 pages, $29.95

ISBN: 9781923224407

First published in 2023 by The Institute of Public Affairs.

October 2024 release

When the High Court of Australia handed down its decision on 13 October 2021 endorsing James Cook University's actions to terminate the employment of Dr Peter Ridd, it was not only a dealt a devastating blow to the principle of academic and intellectual freedom, it endorsed a culture of censorship around any debate on climate science. The commentary surrounding the High Court's decision in Ridd v James Cook University (2021) has misunderstood both the legal analysis of Dr Ridd's case and the proper role of the intellectual freedom in a robust academic system. Dr Peter Ridd and the Case for Academic Freedom corrects the record on the High Court's incoherent reasoning and explains why Dr Ridd's campaign in the courts was so important on shining a light on the ongoing threat to freedom of speech on Australian campuses.